The present invention relates to a method for producing instant noodles, and more particularly to, in the pre-step of the frying stage, a method for filling noodles having a fixed length into a frying vessel (hereinafter referred to as a "fry retainer").
Conventionally, instant noodles are prepared by forming the noodles into a line, after kneading the constituent materials such as flour, water, kansui or the like to form a noodle dough, and then extruding the noodle dough. Then, after steaming the lines of noodles, the noodles are cut by a cutter to have a fixed length and are packed into a fry retainer and immersed (for fry treatment) in a heated oil. Thereafter, the fried noodles are appropriately cooled.
In this process, after the noodles are cut to the fixed length and are ready to be packed into the fry retainer, it is important to disentangle the noodles and to distribute the noodles uniformly, so that they are entirely and uniformly fried at the next step and so that a brick of high-quality fried noodles is produced.
In other words, when the line of noodles is packed into the fry retainer, if the disentanglement of the line is insufficient and if the distribution thereof is not uniform, the frying treatment is not uniform and the center portion of the brick of the noodles is insufficiently fried and fallen (the so-called "under-done" situation). On the other hand, the surface portion of the brick becomes excessively fried. Further, there are the problems when the lines of noodles is maldistributed, that the shape form of the produce is poor, and in addition thereto, when adding the hot water at the time of cooking, the reconstitution of the dense center portion of the brick is obstructed and the noodles are hard to eat.
To eliminate the aforementioned problems, conventionally, there is the method, as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 56-5062, for placing the noodles into the vessel by dropping the noodles, cut to the fixed length, through a shooter, spraying the pressurized air as they are falling, blowing it off in the horizontal direction of the L-shaped shooter and falling to the vertical direction of the shooter at the end of the opposite lateral wall. There is the further conventional method, as disclosed in the Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 62-294053, for flowing and uniformly distributing the noodles by placing predetermined amounts of the noodles into the vessel, closing the upper opening of the vessel with movable lids, inserting the nozzle mounted on the lids into the noodles and shooting the air radially from the inserted nozzle for disentangling the noodles. Further, there was the method of using a stick for uniformly filling the noodles into the vessel by vibrating the stick.
However, in the method for spraying the air or the method for moving the noodles by vibrating the stick, scattering of the noodles from the fry retainer would often result, whereby the operation of the automated production line might be inhibited. In addition thereto, the weights of the bricks of the noodles were not uniform, and therefore it might not be distributed as a product.
Further, when using the method of vibrating a stick, the noodles are apt to be twisted and damaged, and are hard to fry uniformly in the frying step. Further, in the conventional method of spraying the air or vibrating the stick, there are problems of installing the necessary apparatus having a complicated and large-scale construction.
In view of the above problems in the prior art, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a method, in the production of instant noodles, for filling the noodles wherein the distribution of the noodles is entirely uniform, whereby the frying of the noodles is entirely and uniformly carried out without maldistribution from the surface of the brick of the noodles to the center thereof, and whereby the quality and the form of the noodles of the obtained fried brick are satisfactory and is easy to cook by adding the hot water.
Further, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for filling the noodles in a fry retainer and not causing the noodles to scatter from the fry retainer, whereby, the operation of the automated production line is not inhibited and the weight of the brick of the noodles is uniform, and in addition thereto, the noodles are not scuffed and damaged.
Further, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for filling the noodles in a fry retainer using apparatus having a simple structure and not requiring large-scale apparatus.